TNAG-0792-FCO40-996-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 185

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TO IMMEDIATE F.C.O TELNO.1007 OF 19 AUGUST 78,

INFO PRIORITY: OTTAWA, UKMIS GENEVA,

ROUTINE : WASHINGTON, PEKING.

FOR PATERSON, U.N.D FROM ORR.

YOUR TELNO,647 AND M.1.P.T

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VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : ''AVON FOREST''

1. M.l.P.T CONTAINS TEXT OF TELEGRAM SENT TODAY BY U,S CONSULATE-

GENERAL.

2. THE ONLY PROBLEM IN FLYING REFUGEES HERE (IF TAIWANESE REJECT GUARANTEE) IS THAT ICEM OFFICE HERE HAVE JUST LEARNT FROM THEIR GENEVA OFFICE THAT PERMISSION TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS IS CONDITIONAL

ON FUNDS BEING FOUND FOR TRAVEL FROM TAIWAN, U.N.H.C.R (WHICH WOULD REFUND COST OF ONWARD TRAVEL FROM HONG KONG) CANNOT HELP NOR ARE OTHER FUNDS AVAILABLE, ICEM'S ROUGH ESTIMATE IS POUNDS 2,000 (2,200) FOR DIRECT FLIGHT FROM KAOHSIUNG BY CAL. HOWEVER,

FOR LOCAL POLITICAL REASONS WE WOULD PREFER TO USE CATHAY PACIFIC WHICH WOULD INVOLVE DOMESTIC FLIGHT TO TAIPEI AT EXTRA COST OF ROUGHLY POUNDS 300 (300).

3. WE DO NOT HAVE CONFIRMATION OF SHIP'S REVISED SCHEDULE (M.I.P.T PARA.4), BUT EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD AVOID EXTRA COSTS WE WOULD NOT WISH FURTHER TO BREACH FIRST PORT OF CALL PRINCIPLE BY ALLOWING IT TO DIVERT TO HONG KONG ON WAY TO SINGAPORE. OUR AGREEMENT IN THIS CASE TO ACCEPT REFUGEES IN TRANSIT ALREADY GOES FURTHER THAN EXCEPTIONS MADE FOR 'SIBONGA'' AND 'JOHANISBERG STOVE** IN THAT:

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